MIXTAPE REVIEW: Dezzy Yates “Summer Dreaming”

Dezzy Yates is a force to be reckoned with. It really should come as no surprise that his most recent offering is good, but you have to give credit where credit is due, regardless of expectations. Summer Dreaming is a fantastic offering from Yates, and it expands my already budding interest in his career.

“Dear Summer” opens Summer Dreaming with a bang. It’s horn-synth, and wailing sample provide the perfect doorway to a great project. When “Another Day’s Work” drops, the head nod begins. Great production laced with some really great lyrics make this one of my favorites. I wold have liked if the production changed it up just a bit more. It would have made a good track pretty stellar. Bt for what it is, it’s still one of the best on the mixtape.

“Thrift Life & Vintage Clothes” opens with an audio clip about thrift shopping. The concept of the song is SO original, that it’s hard to listen to it just once. Even the at it’s core it’s just a “reminiscing” song at it’s core, the tie-in with thrifting is a new twist on the type of song. “Plane Trip To Anywhere” is good, but a little ill placed. It doesn’t exactly flow, but because Yates is good, you don’t really care.

“California Shorties” is set to be an anthem of sorts. If it had the right exposure, it wold be heard at pool parties for the rest of the year. The great thing about this song is that Yates obviously did (or has done) his research – calling out areas and specific types of California women that are really accurate. “Where We Belong” is a song that reminds me of a time that Gym Class Heroes was everyone’s Drake. It’s a very wispy, yet strong dose of humble lyricism from Yates.

“Rich & Famous” is cool, but forgettable. It’s a filler, but it definitely reminds me of people like Mike Stud. The only difference is, Mike would find a way to make the song a bit more fun. “Wouldn’t Get Far” should have also got left on the cutting room floor. It really is not bad, but it doesn’t hold up to the quality of the majority of the project. “Yes Or No”‘s sample is the BUSINESS. Okay, now that that’s out the way, I will say that this is on e of my favorite songs on the project for sure. Yates flow to a female prospect couldn’t be better. And the chorus and production round everything out to make a radio-worthy song.

“Re-Return Of The Nerd” is fantastic when it comes to it’s lyrical display. The N.E.R.D. track is perfect for what Yates does to it. “Red Shoes” is cool, but also forgettable. The concept of a Sonic The Hedgehog song is infinitely cool, but it kind of misses the mark for me. I really can’t pinpoint why though, so maybe I’m just being picky. “XBox & Soda” is an ode to the gamers of the world, but it really doesn’t do much for me (and I’m a gamer).”Sonic Boom” continues the gaming theme for a third song, but again, just ends up being fun, and not actually a good song.

“Sound The Trumpet” is probably my favorite on the mixtape. It has a sound theme, along with great lyrics and production, it definitely has it’s own level. The energy is great as well, and Yates does a great job of really owning the track. After two tracks that are extreme fillers, the last track comes throgh the speakers and everything stops. “Dreamer’s Jorney” is more spoken word than anything, but rest assured he’s rapping his heart out on the track. It’s overly passionate, and at times a bit much, bt most importantly, it’s HONEST. And that is what makes the song.

The dreams in the summer of young folks can range from the simple to the extravagant. It could be getting that watch you always wanted, or kissing your summer fling. But through music Yates has managed to corner everything we could possibly thinking about this summer and roll it into a great (flawed, but great) package. If anything, it’s a listen that can provide a sort of soundtrack to the summer.

What’s Your Name?

Who are you? Really. Ask yourself that. The first step to making a presence is knowing who you are. The one thing that should always be consistent throughout your brand, (yes, you are a brand), is your name. Occasional name changes aside, your name always be the same. But when upcoming rapper, let’s call him “Kid Magic”, releases new music and his YouTube account calls him “K.I.D. Magic”, song title calls him “KidMagic”, Twitter calls him “Kiidd Magic”, and so on and so forth, how are his fans supposed to connect to his brand?
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